Learning from multiple related tasks by knowledge sharing and transfer has become increasingly relevant over the last two decades. In order to successfully transfer information from one task to another, it is critical to understand the similarities and differences between the domains. In this paper, we introduce the notion of \emph{performance gap}, an intuitive and novel measure of the distance between learning tasks. Unlike existing measures which are used as tools to bound the difference of expected risks between tasks (e.g., $\mathcal{H}$-divergence or discrepancy distance), we theoretically show that the performance gap can be viewed as a data- and algorithm-dependent regularizer, which controls the model complexity and leads to finer guarantees. More importantly, it also provides new insights and motivates a novel principle for designing strategies for knowledge sharing and transfer: gap minimization. We instantiate this principle with two algorithms: 1. gapBoost, a novel and principled boosting algorithm that explicitly minimizes the performance gap between source and target domains for transfer learning; and 2. gapMTNN, a representation learning algorithm that reformulates gap minimization as semantic conditional matching for multitask learning. Our extensive evaluation on both transfer learning and multitask learning benchmark data sets shows that our methods outperform existing baselines.


Survivin plays important roles in maintaining cell proliferation and survival and promoting tumorigenesis. The present study was conducted to determine the stage of lung carcinogenesis at which survivin expression is induced and to investigate how survivin affects the chemopreventive action of deguelin. In in vitro studies, we observed higher levels of survivin expression in a subset of premalignant and malignant human bronchial epithelial (HBE) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines than in normal HBE cells, and in in vivo studies, a higher level of survivin expression in specimen of human lung dysplasia than in normal lung specimens. Treatment with deguelin inhibited de novo synthesis of survivin protein and induced apoptosis, resulting in suppression of transformation phenotypes, in the premalignant and malignant HBE and NSCLC cell lines. Deguelin inhibited survivin expression in tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) but not in TSC2-knockout MEFs in which mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is constitutively active. Deguelin induced activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inactivation of Akt. Overexpression of constitutively active Akt abolished deguelin-induced modulation of AMPK activity and survivin expression. Conversely, inactivation of AMPK by compound C or AMPKalpha1/2 small interfering RNA restored Akt and mTOR activities and survivin expression in deguelin-treated HBE cells. These results suggest that survivin expression is induced as an early event in lung carcinogenesis, and deguelin acts as a chemopreventive agent by inducing a reciprocal regulation between AMPK and Akt, resulting in the inhibition of mTOR-mediated survivin.


There is a clinical need to remineralise dentine beneath the surface, relatively deep within the collagen matrix. Nanoparticles have the potential to infiltrate between the collagen fibres, and previous studies have demonstrated that silica and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles may enhance remineralisation. Dentine remineralisation research uses in vitro models based on fully or partially demineralised dentine prepared by exposure to non-specific acids, and to date this approach has been based on the assumption that these acids affect dentine in a similar manner. Moreover, for methodological reasons, the demineralised dentine requires fixation, but it is unknown if this additional step affects the soundness of the model. The aim of this study was therefore to undertake a detailed and systematic study of dentine remineralisation by silica nanoparticles in the presence of low molecular weight organic acids, with additional experiments directed at understanding the effect of chemical fixation on the validity of the model. Each demineralising agent that was investigated had a unique effect on the dentine composition and structure and it was concluded that acids reported to date have substantial limitations when used to simulate the effects of caries or erosion acids. A novel infiltration method was developed which suggested that silica nanoparticles infiltrated through collagen networks and adhered to collagen fibres, creating a nanoparticle-collagen complex or scaffold. The use of chemical fixatives and different demineralising agents did not appear to inhibit the adherence of nanoparticles. Furthermore, by monitoring the zeta potential of the nanoparticles under various conditions, it was discovered that the negatively charged silica nanoparticles had a high affinity for calcium ions that were present in a remineralising solution. This appeared to form part of the mechanism responsible for dentine remineralisation by infiltrated silica nanoparticles. This interpretation was further supported by studies using energy dispersive spectroscopy in the electron microscope. This research has added considerably to current knowledge of remineralisation of dentine using inorganic nanoparticles, with signs of remineralisation detected beneath the tissue surface and paving the way towards a therapeutic intervention.


According to the current status of Chinese undergraduate education development and practical innovative talent training, the advantages and disadvantages of undergraduate Innovative talents training modes and exam-oriented education system in China's colleges are analyzed and represented. And then, the problems faced and solved in the practical innovative talents training process are also discussed. Finally, the paper proposes some solving approaches and development strategies for training and improving Chinese undergraduate practical innovative abilities. These approaches and strategies are extracted from practical teaching experience and have important reference role for the undergraduate education.


Orin Martin manages the Alan Chadwick Garden at UC Santa Cruz, where he is widely admired for his skills as a master orchardist, horticulturalist, and teacher. Martin grew up an athletic and outdoors-oriented child in Massachusetts, Florida, New York State, and Ohio—without any interest in gardening, which struck him as "an onerous chore, and kind of sissy stuff, actually." While he was in Washington, D.C. in the late 1960s, as a student at American University, he "got politicized" by current events: some 100,000 citizens marched on the Pentagon to protest the Vietnam war; Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. In 1969, exhausted and alienated after a lonely struggle to avoid the military draft, Martin followed some friends to Santa Cruz, where he heard about "this place called 'The Garden'"—the one being cultivated by Alan Chadwick and his proteges on the UCSC campus. "I wandered up there one morning," said Martin in this interview, "and I was just bowled over, and fell in love with it, and felt, I have to do this." Martin had no training as a gardener. His unfinished undergraduate studies were in English; his interests leaned toward writing and literature. Suddenly infatuated with the Chadwick garden nonetheless, he attended public lectures given by Alan Chadwick on the campus and in town. In 1972, shortly after Chadwick had left Santa Cruz and the UCSC Farm had been launched, Martin began volunteering several days a week at the Farm and Garden. When the apprenticeship program there became formalized under Chadwick successor Stephen Kaffka, Martin applied; after completing the apprenticeship in 1975, he received a grant to start a community gardening program in various locations around Santa Cruz County. In 1977, UCSC hired Martin and a colleague named "Big" Jim Nelson (not to be confused with the Jim Nelson interviewed in this series) to oversee the Farm and Garden. More than thirty years later, countless productive garden beds, fruit trees, and former apprentices bear vital testimony to the effectiveness of Martin's ministrations. In this interview—conducted on July 11th and August 29th, 2008, at UCSC's Science and Engineering Library—Orin Martin spoke with Sarah Rabkin about his work with the Farm and Garden and the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, his cultivation of an organic rose collection and orchards of citrus and deciduous fruit tree varieties especially suited to the local climate, and his mentorship of Farm and Garden apprentices.


In the maritime industry, lean burn gas engines have been expected to reduce emissions such as NOx, SOx and CO2. On the other hand, the slipped methane, which is the unburned methane (CH4) emitted from lean burn gas engines have a concern for impact on global warming. It is therefore important to make a progress on the exhaust aftertreatment technologies for lean burn gas engines. As a countermeasure for the slipped methane, Palladium (Pd) catalyst for CH4 oxidation can be expected to provide one of the most feasible methods because Palladium (Pd) catalyst for CH4 oxidation can activate in the lower temperature. However, recent studies have shown that the reversible adsorption by water vapor (H2O) inhibits CH4 oxidation on the catalyst and deactivates its CH4 oxidation capacity.
 It can be known that the CH4 oxidation performance is influenced by active sites on the Pd catalyst. However, measuring methods for active sites on Pd catalyst under exhaust gas conditions could not be found. Authors thus proposed a dynamic estimation method for the quantity of effective active sites on Pd catalyst in exhaust gas temperature using water-gas shift reaction between the saturated chemisorbed CO and the pulse induced H2O. The previous study clarified the relationship between adsorbed CO volume and Pd loading in gas engine exhaust gas temperature and revealed the effects of flow conditions on the estimation of adsorbed CO volume. However, in order to improve CH4 oxidation performance on Pd catalyst under exhaust gas conditions, it is important that effects of support materials on active sites should clarify.
 This paper introduced experimental results of estimation of absorbed CO volume on different support materials of Pd catalysts by using the dynamic evaluation method. Experimental results show that chemisorbed CO volume on Pd/Al2O3 catalyst exhibits higher chemisorbed CO volume than that of Pd/SiO2 and Pd/Al2O3-SiO2 catalyst in 250–450 °C. These results can provide a part of the criteria for the application of Pd catalyst for reducing the slipped methane in exhaust gas of lean burn gas engines.


We report the measurement of the birefringence in integrated-optical waveguides using magnetooptical coupling between the two principal polarizations of the fundamental mode. We demonstrate this measurement technique for directly ultraviolet (UV)-written channel waveguides in silica on-silicon and silica-on-silica. The dependence of the waveguide birefringence on the UV-writing power and UV polarization is investigated. The results are compared with the birefringence of etched waveguides in comparable material systems. An analytical formula for the form birefringence in buried channel waveguides is developed, and measured data are compared with theoretical results.


Recent surveys of hemodialysis studies strongly support the fact that dialysis prescription is a modifiable risk factor. Six tracks to improve dialysis patient outcomes have been identified: change in vascular access option strategy and restricting catheter use; increasing time or frequency of dialysis sessions; assessment and management of fluid status; favoring removal of middle and large molecules by high-flux and convective clearance; considering ultrapurity of dialysis fluid purity as a new standard and a part of hemodialysis biocompatibility, and improving quality care and patient follow-up. By modifying dialysis prescription and by implementing a continuous quality assurance program it appears possible to improve dialysis patient survival.


Fruit zone leaf removal treatments were applied to Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling grapevines at two locations in the temperate Canadian Niagara Region during 1990 and 1991. Leaf removal treatments consisted of a control (no leaf removal), mechanical leaf removal (MLR) treatments applied either on one or both sides (2S) of the canopy, and hand leaf removal (HLR) treatments applied to both sides of the canopy. Treatments were applied early when the berries had reached pea size, late just prior to rapid berry sugar accumulation (veraison) or at both early and late treatment dates. The HLR treatments and to a lesser magnitude the MLR 2S treatments reduced the fruiting zone canopy parameters leaf layer number, percent interior leaves and percent interior clusters at the Grape Research Station vineyard. The effects of the leaf removal treatments at KEW vineyards, however, were limited mostly to the HLR and in a few instances the MLR 2S treatments. Slight differences in fruiting zone temperature occurred only at diurnal temperature peaks. Differences in cluster wetness occurred late in the season when the hand leaf removal treatment had lower values than the other treatments examined. The MLR 2S and HLR leaf removal treatments also improved light penetration into the fruiting zone at both vineyards. With the exception of a slight increase in bud survival at the Grape Research Station vineyard in 1990, there was no influence of the leaf removal treatments on bud fertility, shoot density or vine vigor at either vineyard.


Excessive pharmaceutical pricing cases in EU have progressed from a theoretical possibili-ty to becoming a recurrent enforcement reality, following heightened law and policy attention on affordability of medicines. This matter gained considerable momentum in the wake of COVID-19 crisis as result of the increased health spending, with debates on affordability raging at WTO and WIPO levels. Unfair pricing in European competition law under Article 102a TFEU denote prices set by a dominant undertaking, capable of affecting trade between member states or in a substantial part of the Union, which do not have a reasonable rela-tionship with their 'economic value. The main points of dispute in previous jurisprudence and doctrine have concerned the definition of 'reasonable' and 'economic value' and the calculation of 'excessiveness' and 'un-fairness', as per the seminal assessment test developed by the CJEU in its United Brands case. Although previously described as a 'rarity' in competition law, such excessive pricing cases can now be found in Italy, UK, Denmark and Netherlands but also on the DG Competition level. The investigation into Aspen's pricing practices by the European Commission, ending in a commitment decision whereby Aspen reduced prices by 73%, represents a historic case, capable of providing some guidance in this area of law and policy, seen against the doctri-nal adversity to the prohibition. As intellectual property law and competition law, on the one hand, and policy issues related to Right-to-Health, affordable healthcare and pharmaceutical innovation on the other hand, interact to a high degree in this context, there is room for reflection on the role of competition law related to fair pricing of medicines. Following the introduction, the article will briefly recount the legal framework in European competition law related to excessive pricing. The third section will elevate the law and economics arguments related to excessive pharmaceutical pricing. The fourth section will detail the recent excessive pricing cases in the pharmaceutical sector. The fifth section will depict the assessment and decision by European Commission in the Aspen case. The sixth section analyses the Commission decision regarding definition of relevant market, domi-nance, thresholds and benchmarking and other unresolved issues relating to such enforce-ment. The seventh section concludes. © 2022, Lexxion Verlagsgesellschaft mbH. All rights reserved.


Unsaturated lipid oxidation is a fundamental process involved in different aspects of cellular bioenergetics; dysregulation of lipid oxidation is often associated with cell aging and death. In oder to study how lipid oxidation affects membrane biophysics, we used a chlorin photosensitizer to oxidize vesicles of various lipid compositions and degree of unsaturation in a controlled manner. We observed different shape transitions that can be interpreted as an increase in the area of the targeted membrane followed by a decrease. These area modifications induced by the chemical modification of the membrane upon oxidation, were followed in situ by Raman Tweezers Microspectroscopy (RTM). We found that the membrane area increase corresponds to the lipids peroxidation and is initiated by the delocalization of the targeted double bonds in the tails of the lipids. The subsequent decrease of membrane area can be explained by the formation of cleaved secondary products. As a result of these area changes, we observe vesicle permeabilization after a time lag that is characterized in relation with the level of unsaturation. The evolution of photosensitized vesicle radius was measured and yields an estimation of the mechanical changes of the membrane over oxidation time. The membrane is both weakened and permeabilized by the oxidation. Interestingly, the effect of unsaturation level on the dynamics of vesicles undergoing photooxidation is not trivial and thus carefully discussed. Our findings shed light on the fundamental dynamic mechanisms underlying the oxidation of lipid membranes, and highlight the role of unsaturations on their physical and chemical properties


One hundred consecutive cases of orbital floor fractures from varying causes are reviewed, and the admission symptoms and signs are compared to the late results. We considered the early findings of diplopia, infraorbital rim step-off, and hypesthesia (with an associated clinical diagnosis of malar bone involvement) an indication for exploration of the orbital floor and possible placement of silicone sheeting. When this was done, minimal complications resulted.


As one of the largest estuarine systems in the northeastern United States, Long Island Sound (LIS) has been exposed to human activities for many centuries. Human settlement and population growth in the last 200 years has caused heavy pollution in LIS through inland and shore industrial and municipal releases. The geochemistry of one sediment core and numerous surface sediment samples were analyzed using environmental forensic techniques. This study employed use of pyrolysis gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) in conjunction with previously analyzed geochemical and radiometric data to study contamination sources and patterns though LIS. Geochemical analysis of samples was focused on determination of anthropogenic sources of organic material, which included indication of petrogenic or pyrogenic signatures of observed hydrocarbons. Data collected and analysis of vinylguaiacol to indole ratio (VGI ratio) suggest increased terrestrial sediment input starting in mid 1800's, along with increasing ratio values of PAHs such as ANT/(ANT+PHN) and FLA/(FLA+PYR), which both point to an increased input of pyrogenic sources. This is further correlated with data presented by Varekamp and co-workers, which show increasing levels of TOC, nitrogen, mercury and the fecal bacterium Clostridium perfringens. These data sets all indicate increased anthropogenic activity in the LIS. Analysis of recent surface sediment samples presents facts supporting continuing influx of contaminants mainly from the Connecticut and Housatonic Rivers. Data from analyzed samples was further complicated by the very strong presence of sample contamination in both surface and core samples, not to be mistaken for the environmental • pollution of the analyzed sediment. The source of this sample contamination in thought to originate from sample handling during collection storage or analysis. A forensic approach was taken by which these contaminants were identified and their contributions subtracted from the working dataset.


Background: Lumbosacral spinal stenosis (LSS) is one of the most common causes of back pain and disability. Its treatment varies from surgical to conservative, and the indications for optimal management are not obviously defined. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of caudal epidural injection (CEI) of steroid with and without calcitonin in patients with LSS. Method: This is a randomized, double-blind clinical trial of 31 LSS patients diagnosed between January 1, 2017, to December 30, 2017, who were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A consisted of 17 patients who received C-arm (mobile fluoroscopy)- guided CEI of local anesthetic and steroid, and group B included 14 patients who received C-arm-guided CEI of 100 international unit calcitonin added to local anesthetic and steroid. Outcome measures included the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain during movement and walking distance, Oswestry disability index (ODI), and Quebec back pain disability scale (QBPDS) score, which were obtained from patients before the CEI as a baseline and after the second, fourth, and eighth weeks. Result: Before CEI, no significant differences were found between the two groups, neither in demographic characteristics nor in VAS, ODI, and QBPDS parameters. After CEI, VAS, ODI, and QBPDS improved from baseline through the second, fourth, and eighth weeks in both groups (p < 0.001) without any superiority between the two groups (p = 0.012, 0.078, and 0.019). Conclusion: CEI of steroid with and without adding calcitonin appears effective in the management of LSS. However, CEI of calcitonin does not appear to have any superiority when compared with steroid injection alone.


A sub-resonant mm-wave clock distribution network is presented. The proposed solution introduces near zero skew while consumes significantly less power than alternative approaches such as mesh networks. The clock distribution network was implemented using the TSMC 40nm LP CMOS process and measured using a 4-port vector network analyzer. It measures sub-psec skew from 36.6 to 40.2GHz with less than 20% power penalty compared to resonant solutions.


*These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major health problem with poor prognosis. However, little is known about elderly community-acquired-AKI (CA-AKI). This study aimed to investigate the incidence, clinical characteristics, outcomes and use of suspected nephrotoxic medications after CA-AKI in the elderly. Materials and Methods: A total of 36,445 patients aged over 60 years were recruited from 2013 to 2016. Through an electronic database, we collected the demographic and medical history data, and admission lab results from all patients. Results: A total of 2371 patients with CA-AKI were identified. The incidence of CA-AKI was 26.03% in the elderly. The proportion of CA-AKI patients with chronic comorbidities and Charlson comorbidity index score were higher than that of non-AKI patients. After CAAKI, the proportions of exposure to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), iodine contrast agent, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) were significantly decreased (p < 0.001). However, the proportion of other possible nephrotoxic drugs (including aminoglycosides, glycopeptide antibiotics, antifungal agents, beta lactam antibiotics, diuretic, ferralia, adrenergic receptor agonists and drugs for cardiac insufficiency therapy) still increased after CA-AKI (p < 0.001). Compared with nonAKI patients, CA-AKI patients had higher percentage of cardiogenic shock, multiple organ failure, transferring to intensive care unit, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, hemodialysis, and mortality (p < 0.001). Moreover, CA-AKI patients had worse prognosis when more kinds of suspected nephrotoxic drugs were used (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The incidence of CA-AKI in the elderly was high, with more complex chronic complications and poor clinical outcomes. The use of most suspected nephrotoxic drugs still increased and was associated with worse prognosis after CA-AKI.


Studies have been made on the relationship between incubation temperature (20-30 degrees C) of D. melanogaster and the life span as well as the content of various products of lipid peroxidation. It was shown that the increase in the environmental temperature results in the decrease in the life span, the content of unsaturated fatty acids and conjugated hydroxyperoxids; ketodienic content increases. Strong correlation was observed between the life span and the content of peroxidation products. As it is indicated by coefficients of bifactorial linear regression with interaction, conjugated hydroperoxids and ketodiens exert negative influence on the life span. Their combined effect on the life span is less significant than the sum of their separate effects, which indicates the existence of common "canals" of their influences on the life span.


In 1978, changes to the venue rules for bankruptcy cases created surprisingly permissive venue-selection procedures. Since that time, corporate bankruptcy cases have been characterized by harmful forum shopping. Recently, some skeptics have argued that forum shopping in bankruptcy is vastly overstated – a phenomenon that peaked many years ago. An empirical review of the 159 largest bankruptcy cases filed from January 1, 2007 to June 30, 2012 establishes that this assessment is false. 69% of the bankruptcy cases in my study group forum shopped. Over a two-decade period, the frequency with which large corporate debtors forum shopped increased 14%, and the absolute number of such debtors who forum shopped increased 130%. The data indicate a concentrated problem that must be addressed. This Article relies on empirical data and rigorous theoretical analysis to propose a variety of solutions that effect changes to the bankruptcy venue statute and procedures. These changes culminate in a truly unprecedented recommendation that alters fundamental elements of our bankruptcy court structure. Based in part on the system for appeals of patent and trademark rulings, this Article proposes the creation of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Bankruptcy. This appellate court would establish a critical mass of bankruptcy experts fully devoted to addressing disparate treatment of case-dispositive issues across the circuits. The creation of this court will ultimately enhance uniformity of bankruptcy law and, when taken together with this Article's other proposed changes, alter forum shoppers' incentives and means.


Background and Purpose— The role of serum fatty acids as a risk factor for stroke and stroke subtypes is largely unknown. Methods— A prospective nested case-control study of Japanese 40 to 85 years of age was conducted through the use of frozen serum samples from 7450 participants in cardiovascular risk surveys collected from 1984 to 1989 for 1 community and 1989 to 1992 for the other 2 communities. By the end of 1998, we identified 197 incident strokes whose subtypes were confirmed by imaging studies. Three controls per case were selected by matching for sex, age, community, year of serum storage, and fasting status. Results— Compared with controls, total (n=197), hemorrhagic (n=75), and ischemic (n=122) strokes had similar proportions of n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, lower proportions of linoleic and arachidonic acids, and higher proportions of saturated and monosaturated acids, determined by gas chromatography. The multivariate odds ratios associated with a 1-SD increase in linoleic acid (5%) after adjustment for hypertension, diabetes, serum total cholesterol, and other cardiovascular risk factors were 0.72 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.59 to 0.89] for total stroke, 0.66 (95% CI, 0.49 to 0.88) for ischemic stroke, 0.63 (95% CI, 0.46 to 0.88) for lacunar infarction, and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.59 to 1.12) for hemorrhagic stroke. The respective odds ratios for saturated fatty acids (4%) were 1.13 (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.65), 1.35 (95% CI, 1.01 to 1.79), 1.44 (95% CI, 1.03 to 2.01), and 1.21 (95% CI, 0.82 to 1.80). Further adjustment for other fatty acids attenuated these relations, but the relation between linoleic acid and risk of ischemic stroke remained statistically significant. Conclusions— A higher intake of linoleic acid may protect against ischemic stroke, possibly through potential mechanisms of decreased blood pressure, reduced platelet aggregation, and enhanced deformability of erythrocyte cells.


In mechatronic applications such as electro-hydrostatic actuators, gerotor machines are often preferred over other technologies due to their high efficiency, low wear, low noise, and compactness. The design approach for hydraulic machines, either for motoring or pumping applications, involves the definition of different geometrical parameters, which affect their performance. Thus, the designer is often left without a clear design method to adopt. In this perspective, the presented research aims at providing a general design methodology of gerotor machines for their integration into high-efficiency mechatronic devices. In particular, the study focuses on the analytical and numerical characterization of the optimal tooth aspect ratio and maximum eccentricity between gears. Indeed, these two features are often left to the experience of the designer or are selected with empirical formulations. Our method is validated by means of numerical data from computational fluid-dynamic models to assess the performance of the hydraulic units.


Study Design. An experimental study of pedicle screw fixation in human cadaveric vertebrae. Objective. The aim of this study was to experimentally characterize pedicle screw fixation under nonaxial loading and to analyze the effect of the surgeons' screw and placement choices on the fixation risk of failure. Summary of Background Data. Pedicle screw fixation performance is traditionally characterized with axial pullout tests, which do not fully represent the various tridimensional loads sustained by the screws during correction maneuvers of severe spinal deformities. Previous studies have analyzed the biomechanics of nonaxial loads on pedicle screws, but their effects on the screw loosening mechanisms are still not well understood. Methods. A design of experiment (DOE) approach was used to evaluate 2 screw thread designs (single-lead and dual-lead threads), 2 insertion trajectories in the transverse and sagittal planes, and 2 loading directions (lateral and cranial). Pedicle screws were inserted in both pedicles of 12 cadaveric lumbar vertebrae for a total of 24 tests. Four sinewave loading cycles (0–400 N) were applied, orthogonally to the screw axis, at the screw head. The resulting forces, displacements, and rotations of the screws were recorded. Results. In comparison to the other cycles, the first loading cycle revealed important permanent deformation of the bone (mean permanent displacement of the screw head of 0.79 mm), which gradually accumulated over the following cycles to 1.75 mm on average (plowing effect). The cranial loading direction caused significantly lower (P < 0.05) bone deformation than lateral loading. The dual-lead screw had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) initial stiffness than the single-lead thread screw. Conclusions. Nonaxial loads induce screw plowing that lead to bone compacting and subsequent screw loosening or even bone failure, thus reducing the pedicle screw fixation strength. Lateral loads induce greater bone deformation and risks of failure than cranial loads. Level of Evidence: N/A


The anti-tumour immune response is often not potent enough to prevent or eradicate disease. Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells that are critical for the initiation of immune responses. While DCs frequently infiltrate tumours, lack of activation together with immuno-suppressive factors from the tumour can hamper an effective anti-tumour immune response.
In this thesis, the ability of microbial stimuli and danger signals to overcome suppression and re-programme DCs and macrophages to an immuno-stimulatory phenotype was investigated. Whole live Mycobacterium smegmatis and BCG were used to provide multiple pathogen-associated molecular patterns. The intracellularly-recognised toll-like-receptor (TLR) ligands CpG and Poly IC, as well as the extracelullarly recognised TLR ligand LPS, and the danger signal monosodium-urate crystals (MSU) were also included.
Bone-marrow derived DCs were found to respond to all adjuvants in vitro and DCs in tumour cell suspensions could be activated ex vivo. To assess the ability of adjuvants to enhance anti-tumour responses in vivo, immune-competent mice bearing established subcutaneous B16F1 melanomas were injected peri-tumorally with the different adjuvants. In line with previous reports, CpG treatment was effective in delaying tumour growth and increasing survival. A similar effect was found with Poly IC, but not with LPS, M. smegmatis, BCG or MSU alone. Combination of M. smegmatis + MSU, however, significantly delayed tumour growth and prolonged survival, while combinations of MSU + BCG or LPS were ineffective. Similar results were obtained using the B16.OVA melanoma and E.G7-OVA thymoma subcutaneous tumour models. In addition, Poly IC and MSU + M. smegmatis reduced primary tumour growth as well as lung metastases in the orthotopic 4T1 breast carcinoma model.
Both Poly IC and MSU + M. smegmatis elicited an anti-tumour immune response that required CD8 T cells as well as NK cells. These treatments also resulted in increased proliferation of CD8 T cells and NK cells in tumour-draining lymph nodes, augmented infiltration of effector cells into the tumour, as well as enhanced production of in ammatory cytokines by effector cells and DCs in tumours. In addition, MSU + M. smegmatis also stimulated CD4 T cell proliferation, tumour-infiltrationand activation, while at the same time decreasing the frequency of regulatory T cells in tumours.
Activation of a successful immune response to tumours was associated with early induction of IL-12 and IFNʸ, as well as moderate levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines at the tumour site and systemically. Furthermore, anti-tumour activity correlated with the induction of inflammatory monocyte-derived DCs in tumour-draining lymph nodes. These DCs were also observed in adjuvant treated tumours and their appearance was preceded by accumulation of inflammatory monocytes at the tumour site.
These findings suggest that specific natural adjuvants can successfully modify the tumour environment and enhance the innate and adaptive anti-tumour immune response to delay tumour progression and increase survival.


The introduction of the iPad and similar form-factor devices e.g. Samsung Galaxy Tab, Asus Eee Pad and Motorola Xoom has provided a unique opportunity for older adults to engage with mobile computing devices and platforms. Engagement with 'traditional' computing devices amongst older adults, including arguably mobile devices, such as laptop computers is low due to dexterity issues amongst this population Hertzum & Hornbaek, 2010. Whilst the iPad removes some of the traditional barriers to computer engagement, new barriers including weight and screen reflection are evident to an older user group. This paper provides an exploratory evaluation of how older adults in 11 UK care-home settings and the staff engaged in their care are using iPads to help improve communication, build physical social networks amongst residents, staff and family members, and map the most frequently used applications by an older population during a six-month pilot period. Results suggest that applications involving information searching for personally related and historical information were most valued by older adults. Further, older adults and care staff alike report mainly positive experiences of iPad use in care settings including the increased opportunities for social interaction and the enhancement of intergenerational communication. Additionally, the barriers to use e.g. device weight are often overcome by low-tech adaptations and adjustment when using the device. This paper argues that the portability and adaptive nature of the iPad combined with the increased social interaction afforded by device could increase quality of life in care settings.


One of the key components essential to the productivity of small-scale farmers who secured farms through the land redistribution programme in South Africa is access to reliable sources of water for irrigation. In this study, we deployed a stakeholder-oriented qualitative research methodology to understand the extent to which land reform farming schemes in Bela-Bela and Greater Sekhukhune have been able to access water and use it to enhance their agricultural production. We were keen to identify and articulate the water-related challenges and missing ingredients for successful agricultural production on the new farming schemes. The study found that access to water for irrigated agriculture is not guaranteed for most of the emerging farmers and they do not have the finance needed to invest in sustainable water supply systems for irrigation. As a result, the majority of the farmers in our study sample have not been able to realize any meaningful agricultural production, with their farming schemes being either underutilized or not functioning at all. Other key challenges include lack of finance, high costs of electricity, and lack of farming knowledge among the emerging farmers. The paper concludes that there is need for key actors in the development sector to provide more substantive post–land transfer support and ensure better access to water for the emerging farmers. This will enhance the farmers' chances of realizing more meaningful agricultural production while improving their livelihoods.


The magnetotelluric (MT) method is a passive exploration technique that aims at estimating the resistivity distribution of the Earth's subsurface, and therefore at providing an image of it. This process is divided into two different steps. The first one consists in recording the data. In a second step, recorded measurements are analyzed by employing numerical methods. This dissertation focuses in this second task. We provide a rigorous mathematical setting in the context of the Finite Element Method (FEM) that helps to understand the MT problem and its inversion process. In order to recover a map of the subsurface based on 2D MT measurements, we employ for the first time in MTs a multigoal oriented self adaptive hp-Finite Element Method (FEM). We accurately solve both the full formulation as well as a secondary field formulation where the primary field is given by the solution of a 1D layered media. To truncate the computational domain, we design a Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) that automatically adapts to high-contrast material properties that appear within the subsurface and on the air-ground interface. For the inversion process, we develop a first step of a Dimensionally Adaptive Method (DAM) by considering the dimension of the problem as a variable in the inversion. Additionally, this dissertation supplies a rigorous numerical analysis for the forward and inverse problems. Regarding the forward modelization, we perform a frequency sensitivity analysis, we study the effect of the source, the convergence of the hp-adaptivity, or the effect of the PML in the computation of the electromagnetic fields and impedance. As far as the inversion is concerned, we study the impact of the selected variable for the inversion process, the different information that each mode provides, and the gains of the DAM approach.


Bryant, M. P. (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Md.) and I. M. Robinson. Some nutritional characteristics of predominant culturable ruminal bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 84:605–614. 1962.—The effect of enzymatic hydrolysate of casein, NH4+, a mixture of volatile fatty acids (acetic, n-valeric, isovaleric, 2-methylbutyric, and isobutyric), hemin, and ruminal fluid on growth of 89 freshly isolated strains of predominant culturable ruminal bacteria was studied, using basal media containing glucose, cellobiose, or maltose as energy source, minerals, cysteine, and S= as reducing agents, and H2CO3-HCO3− buffer. Of these strains, 13% (four morphological groups) grew poorly or not at all in defined medium plus casein hydrolysate; 6% (one morphological group) required casein hydrolysate; 56% (four morphological groups) grew with either NH4+ or casein hydrolysate as the main source of nitrogen; and NH4+, but not casein hydrolysate, was essential for 25% of the strains (five morphological groups). The volatile fatty acid mixture excluding acetate was essential for 19% of the strains (five morphological groups), and this mixture and acetate were necessary for good growth of 23% of the strains (one morphological group) when casein hydrolysate was excluded from the medium; 30% of the strains (one morphological group) required hemin. Similar studies are reported on 35 old laboratory strains of ruminal bacteria, most of which were previously identified. The results indicate that most strains of ruminal bacteria can be grown in defined media, and suggest the relative importance of NH4+ and volatile fatty acids and the relative lack of importance of organic nitrogen compounds such as amino acids in the nutrition of these bacteria.


In 2004, the Government of Morocco (GoM) made major amendments to its family code, known as the Moudawana, which covers personal status issues such as marriage, divorce, alimony, child support, child custody, and inheritance. These reforms increased the rights of women within the family, and should boost women's agency beyond family matters, for example increasing control of economic assets. The revisions followed a process of relatively open public debate with much of the discussion driven by women's civil society organizations (CSOs). It does suggest that women have made gains in determining who to marry, and are more able to access to divorce without renouncing their financial assets. On many other key issues, such as the use of stipulations in marriage contracts to increase women's decision-making within marriage and control of economic assets, as well as the extent to which community property regimes have been adopted by married couples, the lack of data prevents effective measurement of progress. Plans of the Ministry of Justice and Liberty to measure implementation of the Moudawana linked with the charter for the reform of the judicial system will hopefully provide the GoM a useful tool in ensuring further narrowing of gender equality gaps.


This paper provides a survey of ways in which financial innovations may affect the making of monetary policy. This subject has recently become more topical because of both the increased importance of monetary policy and the increasing pace of financial innovation. The analysis makes use of the IS-LM framework. The discussion is by no means exhaustive or conclusive. However, it appears that in recent years there have been important factors which have altered the slope of the LM curve and others which have shifted it. A steeper LM curve increases the effectiveness of monetary policy and vice versa. Two developments in recent years (the growth in the number and range of financial intermediaries and the increased volatility of interest rates) have reduced the slope of the LM curve and one (the payment of market-related interest rates to more forms of deposit) has increased the slope. As regards the position of the LM curve, one could argue that the development of new transactions technologies would have reduced the demand for narrow money, shifting the relevant LM curve to the right. However, broader measures of money may not have been affected, or at least not to the same degree. Also, as innovation improves the efficiency of the whole financial system, the public might hold fewer financial assets for a given level of activity. This would also tend to shift the LM curve to the right. Shifts in the slope and position of the LM curve complicate the task of using the money supply as an intermediate target. Redefinitions of the money supply might correct for shifts in the LM curve (if the magnitudes of the shifts could be predicted or estimated) but such redefinitions cannot allow for factors which have altered the slope of the LM curve. For this and other reasons, financial innovation strengthens the need to examine a range of financial variables in formulating monetary policy.


A simple model for the Mode I popcorn effect is presented here for packages with rectangular die pads (P-DSO). A package "stability parameter," relating to its moisture sensitivity, is derived from the popcorn model. It describes the critical factors for a robust package-molding compound properties and package, leadframe design for a given preconditioning and soldering process. Furthermore, nomograms generated from the model facilitate an easy estimation of moisture sensitivity levels (between 1 and 5) of packages with different die pad sizes and molding compound underpad thicknesses and for different soldering temperatures ranging from 220/spl deg/C to 260/spl deg/C (lead-free soldering).


OBJECTIVE: to verify associations between overweight and the characteristics of young adult students to support nursing care. METHOD: case-control study conducted with young adults from public schools. The sample was composed of 441 participants (147 cases and 294 controls, with and without excess weight, respectively). Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected together with exposure factors and anthropometrics. Multiple logistic regression was used. The study received Institutional Review Board approval. RESULTS: statistically significant association with overweight: non-Caucasian, having a partner; weight gain during adolescence, mother's excess weight, the use of obesogenic medication, augmented diastolic blood pressure, of abdominal circumference and waist/hip ratio. In addition to these, schooling and weight gain during childhood were also included in the multivariate analysis. After adjustment, the final model included: having a partner, weight gain during adolescence, augmented diastolic blood pressure and abdominal circumference. CONCLUSION: the analysis of predictor variables for excess weight among young adult students supports nurses in planning and developing educational practices aimed to prevent this clinical condition, which is a risk factor for other chronic comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases.


The dossier completeness and data traceableness of drug registration application are important preconditions for conducting technical review.Through check and analysis on 1450 applications for dosage form change and generic of Traditional Chinese Medicines and chemical drugs,common problems and status on these applications are discussed in aspects of administrative information,CMC,pharmacology and toxicology,and bioequivalence sections.We expect drug registration applicants will attach great importance at application dossier preparing.This paper focuses on pharmaceutical study of Traditional Chinese Medicines.


Background In order to encourage patients to take an active role in their disease management and to enhance the dialogue between patients and healthcare providers, iMonitor was developed.1 iMonitor is a Software Medical Device developed and funded by Pfizer. Patients can complete patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in this online system. This allows for monitoring of disease activity in between visits, identification of patients who need medical attention in between visits, and it may lead to reduction of consultations for patients with stable disease activity. Moreover, completion of a PROM might help a patient to prepare for his or her consultation and might improve the communication between physician and patient. Objectives This study aims to identify factors that contribute to adequate online monitoring of disease activity, by collecting experiences from patients with RA with iMonitor. Methods Patients were recruited at Bernhoven (Uden, the Netherlands) by an announcement of the study on the hospital website, leaflets and by specific meetings. Four instruction classes were organised in which two researchers gave live instructions about the programme. Patients received log-in codes and chose their PROM-preference(s) and PROM-frequency. After nine months a focus group interview was performed and three telephone interviews were held. Questions were semi-structured using a topic list based on Flottorp2. Data will be transcribed, coded and grouped. Results Currently 33 patients with RA are using iMonitor. Of these patients 17 (52%) attended the instruction classes and six patients (18%) attended the focus group discussion. Preliminary results reveal six themes (Technological aspects, Patient factors, Need for getting feedback, Incentives and resources, Reduction of consults and Security aspects). The Flottorp domain "Patient factors" provided most rich information. Most patients said they developed more knowledge about their disease activity and that they felt more aware about their disease activity. Additionally, iMonitor supported them in taking actions such as adjustments in lifestyle and becoming more prudent when noticing a flare. Some patients felt more prepared for a consultation and less dependent from their rheumatologist. With regard to the domain "Capacity for organisational change", patients were confident that iMonitor could contribute to reduction of consultations, but contacting the outpatient clinic when feeling worried should be required. Conclusions Patients' experiences with an online remote monitoring system were mainly positive. Instruction classes helped patients to get familiar with the programme. Patients experienced to have more control over their disease and to have developed more knowledge. This may result in enhanced self-management, which is important with regard to retain control over disease. References Medical and Educational Goods and Services (MEGS): iMonitor. 2014; Available from: http://www.pfizer.co.uk/content/medical-and-educational-goods-and-services-megs-imonitor. Flottorp, S.A., et al., A checklist for identifying determinants of practice: a systematic review and synthesis of frameworks and taxonomies of factors that prevent or enable improvements in healthcare professional practice. Implementation Science, 2013. 8(1): p. 1. Disclosure of Interest L. Renskers Grant/research support from: Pfizer, S. Rongen: None declared, A. Huis: None declared, M. Hulscher: None declared, P. van Riel Grant/research support from: Pfizer


PURPOSE
Globalization of Japanese dental hygienists is important to match the demands in the present society. The purpose of this study was to gauge opinions on international programmes of Japanese dental hygiene students and educators.

METHOD
Data were collected using a survey that was sent to all eight Japanese universities of oral hygiene in December 2014. Participants were composed of 466 university students majoring in oral hygiene (463 women; three men; mean age: 21 years) and 45 educators teaching dental hygiene education (mean age: 50 years). The response rates were 83.81% and 46.88%, respectively.

RESULTS
48.06% of 464 students would like to study abroad, and 76.04% of 330 students would like to interact with foreign students frequently. 97.54% of 455 students answered that learning English is important for dental hygienists, but 72.39% of 460 students are not comfortable interacting with foreigners in English. Those who knew more dental English terms had higher interest in studying abroad (odds ratio: 1.136). 75% of 44 educators think that dental hygiene students need to or sometimes need to study abroad. 68.89% of 45 educators think that teaching international programmes is costly.

CONCLUSION
We found that Japanese dental hygiene students and educators have positive interest in international programmes. However, they have concerns about their English skills and about the cost of studying it. Therefore, English classes need to be improved, and new approaches are required for lowering the cost of teaching international programmes, while stimulating foreign students' and educators' interest in studying abroad in Japan.


Background Methotrexate inhibits the proliferation of RA fibroblast-like synovial cells (RA-FLS) by folate anti-metabolism. We previously reported that disruptions of circadian clock genes were involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis (1,2). Objectives To explore pharmacological effects of MTX on circadian clock genes of RA-FLS. Methods Under treatments of MTX on RA-FLS, cell viabilities were determined by WST-8 assay, expressions of circadian clock genes (Clock, Bmal1, Cry1 and Per2), circadian transcriptional factor PAR bZip (Dbp, Tef and Hlf), and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 interacting killer (BIK) were examined by real time PCR, and expressions of PER2 and CYTOCHROME C were examined by western blotting. The expressions of PER2, BIK, CYTOCHROME C and morphological changes of the nucleus were observed by fluorescent immunostaining. RA-FLS were transfected with Per2 and BIK siRNAs and successively treated with MTX to determine cell viabilities by WST-8 assay. Results MTX (1,10 nM) treatment significantly decreased the cell viabilities. MTX (10nM) have increased mRNA expression of Per2, Dbp, Tef, Hlf, and BIK, and protein expressions of PER2 and CYTOCHROME C, as well. In fluorescent observations, PER2, BIK, and CYTOCHROME C were increased in apoptotic cells. Cytotoxicity of MTX was attenuated by knockdowns of Per2 or BIK in RA-FLS. Conclusions The transcriptional factor PAR bZip binds to the D-box elements of Per2 and BIK promoters (3,4). Here, we propose a novel action of MTX that up-regulates the expressions of Per2 and BIK via PAR bZip to induce apoptosis in RA-FLS. References Hashiramoto A, J Immunol. 2010 Feb 1;184(3):1560–5. Hand LE, FASEB J. 2016 Nov;30(11):3759–3770. Yoshida K, Scand J Rheumatol. 2013;42(4):276–80. Ritchie A, Cell Death Differ. 2009 Jun;16(6):838–46. Disclosure of Interest None declared


New products from the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) >satellite instrument can resolve pollution events in tropical and mid-latitudes, Over the past several years, we have developed tropospheric ozone data sets by two methods. The modified-residual technique [Hudson and Thompson, 1998; Thompson and Hudson, 1999] uses v. 7 TOMS total ozone and is applicable to tropical regimes in which the wave-one pattern in total ozone is observed. The TOMSdirect method [Hudson et at., 2000] represents a new algorithm that uses TOMS radiances to extract tropospheric ozone in regions of constant stratospheric ozone and tropospheric ozone displaying high mixing ratios and variability characteristic of pollution, Absorbing aerosols (dust and smoke; Herman et at., 1997 Hsu et al., 1999), a standard TOMS product, provide transport and/or source marker information to interpret tropospheric ozone. For the Nimbus 7/TOMS observing period (1979-1992), modified-residual TTO (tropical tropospheric ozone) appears as two maps/month at I-degree latitude 2-degree longitude resolution at a homepage and digital data are available (20S to 20N) by ftp at http://metosrv2. umd.edu/~tropo/ 14y_data.d. Preliminary modified-residual TTO data from the operational Earth-Probe/TOMS (1996- present) are posted in near-real-time at the same website. Analyses with the new tropospheric ozone and aerosol data are illustrated by the following (I)Signals in tropical tropospheric ozone column and smoke amount during ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) events, e.g. 1982-1983 and the intense ENSO induced biomass fires of 1997-1998 over the Indonesian region [Thompson et a[, 2000a, Thompson and Hudson, 1999]. (2) Trends in tropospheric ozone and smoke aerosols in various tropical regions (Atlantic, Pacific, Africa, Brazil). No significant trends were found for ozone from1980-1990 [Thompson and Hudson, 19991 although smoke aerosols increased during the period [Hsu et al.,1999]. (3) Temporal and spatial offsets ("paradoxes") in tropical tropospheric ozone and smoke aerosol in regions of greatest tropical biomass burning [Thompson et at., 1996;2000b]. (4) Trans-boundary pollution tracking. With an air parcel (trajectory) model, smoke aerosol and ozone and dust plumes can be tracked across oceans (e.g., Asia to North America; North America to Europe) and national boundaries, e.g. Indonesia to Singapore and Malaysia during the 1997 ENSO fires.


OBJECTIVE
We studied whether care management is a pragmatic solution for improving population blood pressure (BP) control and addressing BP disparities between Blacks and Whites in routine clinical environments.

DESIGN
Quasi-experimental, observational study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
3,964 uncontrolled hypertensive patients receiving primary care within the last year from one of six Baltimore clinics were identified as eligible.

INTERVENTION
Three in-person sessions over three months with registered dietitians and pharmacists who addressed medication titration, patient adherence to healthy behaviors and medication, and disparities-related barriers.

MAIN MEASURES
We assessed the population impact of care management using the RE-AIM framework. To evaluate effectiveness in improving BP, we used unadjusted, adjusted, and propensity-score matched differences-in-differences models to compare those who completed all sessions with partial completers and non-participants.

RESULTS
Of all eligible patients, 5% participated in care management. Of 629 patients who entered care management, 245 (39%) completed all three sessions. Those completing all sessions on average reached BP control (mean BP 137/78) and experienced 9 mm Hg systolic blood pressure (P<.001) and 4 mm Hg DBP (P=.004) greater improvement than non-participants; findings did not vary in adjusted or propensity-score matched models. Disparities in systolic and diastolic BP between Blacks and Whites were not detectable at completion.

CONCLUSIONS
It may be possible to achieve BP control among both Black and White patients who participate in a few sessions of care management. However, the very limited reach and patient challenges with program completion should raise significant caution with relying on care management alone to improve population BP control and eliminate related disparities.


ABSTRACT The increasing concern about climate change has produced growing interest in natural ventilation and urban planning. There seems to be a gap in the study of introducing urban climate into urban planning, even though doing so would increase population comfort and decrease energy spending. Natural ventilation provided by wind flowing through the streets of a city might be considered as a first priority for passive cooling. It is intuitive that if the street grid coincides with wind flow direction, a city will get more wind in the street. Otherwise, building walls will stop the wind. This study addresses this important topic, grounded on the urbanization of Ildefons Cerdà with regard to Barcelona. In this research, a consistency analysis of the grid orientation and wind flow direction is done for Barcelona. The objective is to demonstrate using current technology that Cerdà's grid orientation, which strove to capture fresh winds in summer and avoid cold winds in winter, really works. Methodologically, we discuss the reasons, found in the vast work of the Cerdà urban plan, for capturing winds; and we demonstrate the goodness of fit of street grid orientation for capturing winds using spatial analysis in GIS.


With the rapid development of society, the demand for steel production is increasing, and the demand of the bar's quality is getting higher and higher. However, what is constraining the production efficiency of the Bar industry is that the development of NDT of surface crack on the bar is unpleasant. This paper presents a new NDT method which is machine vision-based and fully automatic, and designs an application system which is more viable and practical. The bar non-destructive crack detection system use the Industrial Control Computer as Master Parts. Combine with the CCD image acquisition and the PLC control of the pipeline as a whole. This system utilizes Testing Technology of Fluorescent Magnetic particle, realize machine recognition through the Digital Image Processing Technology. What's more, this system use the set method of adaptive threshold based on probability of detection and false alarm probability in machine recognition. It has a significant and Practical significance for reducing the computation of the system, improving the processing speed of this system, and meeting the needs of the entire system in real-time requirements.


Background Incisional hernia is a common complication following visceral organ transplantation. Transplant patients are at increased risk of primary and recurrent hernias due to chronic immune suppression and large incisions. We conducted a retrospective review of patients with a history of liver or kidney transplantation who underwent hernia repair to analyze outcomes and hernia recurrence. Methods This is a single center, retrospective review of 19 patients who received kidney and/or liver transplantation prior to presenting with an incisional hernia from 2011 to 2017. All hernias were repaired with open component separation technique (CST) with biologic mesh underlay. Results The mean age of patients was 61.0±8.3 years old, with a mean body mass index of 28.4±4.8 kg/m2, 15 males (78.9%), and four females (21.1%). There were seven kidney, 11 liver, and one combined liver and kidney transplant patients. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (16 patients, 84.2%), diabetes (9 patients, 47.4%), and tobacco use (8 patients, 42.1%). Complications occurred in six patients (31.6%) including hematoma (1/19), abscess (1/19), seroma (2/19), and hernia recurrence (3/19) at mean follow-up of 28.7±22.8 months. With the exception of two patients with incomplete follow-up, all patients healed at a median time of 27 days. Conclusions This small, retrospective series of complex open CST in transplant patients shows acceptable rates of long-term hernia recurrence and healing. By using a multidisciplinary approach for abdominal wall reconstruction, we believe that modified open CST with biologic mesh is a safe and effective technique in the transplant population with complex abdominal hernias.


Previously we demonstrated that GTS-21, a nicotinic cholinergic agonist, ameliorated eyeblink classical conditioning deficits in older rabbits. The present experiment was undertaken to replicate and extend these results by examining the effects of GTS-21 on retention and relearning. Retired breeder rabbits received 15 daily injections of 0.5 mg/kg GTS 21 (n = 8) or sterile saline vehicle (n = 8) during acquisition training, and no further injections occurred. Acquisition of conditioned responses (CRs) was significantly better in GTS-21-treated rabbits. During the first tone-alone retention session in week 6 of the experiment, rabbits initially treated with GTS-21 produced significantly more CRs than vehicle-treated rabbits. There were no group differences in retention at the 13-week retest. Differences in relearning were in the predicted direction but did not attain statistical significance. Results indicate that treatment with GTS-21 ameliorates learning beyond the period when the drug is actually administered.


Recent work has shown deep neural networks (DNNs) to be highly susceptible to well-designed, small perturbations at the input layer, or so-called adversarial examples. Taking images as an example, such distortions are often imperceptible, but can result in 100% mis-classification for a state of the art DNN. We study the structure of adversarial examples and explore network topology, pre-processing and training strategies to improve the robustness of DNNs. We perform various experiments to assess the removability of adversarial examples by corrupting with additional noise and pre-processing with denoising autoencoders (DAEs). We find that DAEs can remove substantial amounts of the adversarial noise. How- ever, when stacking the DAE with the original DNN, the resulting network can again be attacked by new adversarial examples with even smaller distortion. As a solution, we propose Deep Contractive Network, a model with a new end-to-end training procedure that includes a smoothness penalty inspired by the contractive autoencoder (CAE). This increases the network robustness to adversarial examples, without a significant performance penalty.


Dinar Basin was shaken by an eartquake with a magnitude of 5.9 on 1 October 1995. During the main shock, 59 people died and structural damage occurred in Dinar town. Surface subsidence and sand volcanoes were observed on ground surface around railway route approximately extending 1 km (.60 mi) in length. A comprehensive geotechnical investigation including borings, in-situ tests (SPT and CPT) has been carried out to study the effects of local soil conditions and liquefaction susceptibility of the soil layers. The in-situ tests and index properties of soil layers have revealed that loose sandy and soft silty, clayey soil layers were dominant in the liquefied zone. The liquefaction susceptibility of the deposit has been studied using methods based on in-situ test.


context that two problems arise with Sarkar's exposition. Firstly, he makes it part of his programme to 'look neither backward nor forward to what [Kierkegaard] will eventually say in his subsequent works' (p. 2). Sarkar thereby ignores the significant treatments of understanding that appear elsewhere in the Kierkegaardian corpus, notably in Concluding Scienti fic Postscript. Secondly, Sarkar fails to provide us'with definitions of and distinctions between such terms as understanding, reason, and reflection, nor does he define any other of the Kierkegaardian terms he employs. On the contrary, he disdains the 'commonplace philosophical task: to ferret out those properties from which the others would follow. Kierkegaard understandably does not do so, nor will I' (p. 47). This refusal to define his or Kierkegaard's terms, however, means that Sarkar's critique of Kierkegaard's conception of understanding and his attempts to correct and improve it,


SOMMARIO: 1. Premessa - 2. Breve storia delle riforme universitarie a) fino al 2000 - 3. b) dal 2000 a oggi - 4. Il piano degli studi giuridici e l'accesso alle "professioni classiche" - 5. Proposte di revisione della tabella attuale. a) il contesto generale e particolare - 6. b) i punti salienti.
Knowing to deliberate. Reflections on legal education.
ABSTRACT: The debate on legal education in Italy appears to be an always open question. The synthesis is complicated by the coexistence of multiple factors that increase its complexity. However, the gradual and stable decrease in enrollments and the simultaneous lack of employment prospects for graduates require it to be revised, also favored by the opportunities opened by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). In this essay I proceed to a preliminary historical reconstruction of the debate still in progress and I present reflections which, hopefully, will be useful for its operational conclusion.


The Sound Library of Michael Wollny This essay seeks to show the musical development of the unanimously critically acclaimed jazz pianist Michael Wollny. To this end, the author examines Wollny's (jazz) piano trio output since 2005 and considers how Wollny's idea of a ›sound library‹ manifests itself in concrete musical terms. The article reveals the manifold references to other musicians or composers, writers and film directors that run through Wollny's music and are becoming increasingly prominent. With reference to the extraordinary wealth of outside material used on his 2014 album Weltentraum, it also asks to what extent one can speak of kitsch.


Visceral artery aneurysms (VAA) and pseudoaneurysms (VAPA) can be life-threatening conditions with high incidence of rupture and hemorrhage. Greater availability and increased use of advanced imaging technology has led to the increased incidental detection of asymptomatic visceral aneurysms. In addition, increased percutaneous endovascular interventions have raised the incidence of iatrogenic pseudoaneurysms. Due to this, both VAA and VAPA have become an increasingly frequent diagnosis confronting the vascular surgeon. Over the past decade, there has been steady increase in the utilization of minimally invasive, non-operative interventions, for vascular occlusive and aneurysmal disease. All VAA and VAPA can technically be fixed by endovascular techniques but that does not mean they should. These catheter-based techniques constitute an excellent approach in the elective setting, particularly in patients who are poor surgical candidates due to their comorbidities or who present a hostile abdomen. However, in the emergent setting it may carry a higher morbidity and mortality. We review the literature about open and endovascular approach for the treatment of VAA and VAPA both in the elective and emergent setting.


Improving the performance of a database system is one of the key research issues now a day. Distributed processing is an effective way to improve reliability and performance of a database system. Distribution of data is a collection of fragmentation, allocation and replication processes. Previous research works provided fragmentation solution based on empirical data about the type and frequency of the queries submitted to a centralized system. These solutions are not suitable at the initial stage of a database design for a distributed system. In this paper we have presented a fragmentation technique that can be applied at the initial stage as well as in later stages of a distributed database system for partitioning the relations. Allocation of fragments is done simultaneously in our algorithm. Result shows that proposed technique can solve initial fragmentation problem of relational databases for distributed systems properly. General Terms Database, Distributed database, Fragmentation


Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are increasingly being used in a diverse range of applications. In one particular application, we analyze UUV operations for location, detection and classification of mines. The mission objective is to search the area of interest, using underwater imaging sensors such as side scan sonars, until either the first mine is located, or it is verified that none can be found. Communication constraints require that the vehicle be connected with physically for downloads. In such as scenario, the search area can be considered as a line, and prior probabilities of finding a mine on the line can be related to external considerations such as the bottom characteristics, etc. The optimization problem is the determination of a sequence of points on the line where the UUV should be configured to return for a data download, so as to minimize the expected mission time. Operational models are defined and analytical expressions and numerical results describe the optimal strategies for searching with several distributions and return point specifications


ABSTRACT Recently, the feasibility of using Escherichia coli for the heterologous biosynthesis of complex polyketides has been demonstrated. In this report, the development of a robust high-cell-density fed-batch procedure for the efficient production of complex polyketides is described. The effects of various physiological conditions on the productivity and titers of 6-deoxyerythronolide B (6dEB; the macrocyclic core of the antibiotic erythromycin) in recombinant cultures of E. coli were studied in shake flask cultures. The resulting data were used as a foundation to develop a high-cell-density fermentation procedure by building upon procedures reported earlier for recombinant protein production in E. coli. The fermentation strategy employed consistently produced ∼100 mg of 6dEB per liter, whereas shake flask conditions generated between 1 and 10 mg per liter. The utility of an accessory thioesterase (TEII from Saccharopolyspora erythraea) for enhancing the productivity of 6dEB in E. coli was also demonstrated (increasing the final titer of 6dEB to 180 mg per liter). In addition to reinforcing the potential for using E. coli as a heterologous host for wild-type- and engineered-polyketide biosynthesis, the procedures described in this study may be useful for the production of secondary metabolites that are difficult to access by other routes.


The Food Stamp Program saw an unprecedented decline in participation from 27.5 million participants in 1994 to 18.2 million participants in 1999. A strong economy and changes in social welfare programs drove this change. An econometric model with State-level data calculated that 35 percent of the caseload decline from 1994 to 1998 was associated with changing economic conditions and 12 percent with program reform and political variables. Household-level data from the Current Population Survey lead to the conclusion that 28 percent of the total change in participation was associated with a decrease in the number of people with low income (below 130 percent of the poverty line)and 55 percent was due to a decline in the proportion of low-income people who participate.


Quality of service (QoS) and queue management are critical issues for the broadcast scheme of IEEE 802.11p systems in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). However, existing 1- dimensional (1-D) Markov chain models of 802.11p systems are unable to capture the complete QoS performance and queuing behavior due to the lack of an adequate finite buffer model. We present a 2-dimensional (2-D) Markov chain that integrates the broadcast scheme of the 802.11p system and the queuing process into one model. The extra dimension, which models the queue length, allows us to accurately capture the important QoS measures, delay and loss, plus throughput and queue length, for realistic 802.11p systems with finite buffer under finite load. We derive a simplified method to solve the steady state probabilities of the 2-D Markov chain. Our 2-D Markov chain model is the first finite buffer model defined and solved for the broadcast scheme of 802.11p systems. The 2-D model solutions are validated by extensive simulations. Our analyses reveal that the lack of binary exponential backoff and retransmission in the 802.11p system results in poor QoS performance during heavy traffic load, particularly for large VANETs. We demonstrate that our model provides traffic control guidelines to maintain good QoS performance for VANETs.


We examined the activity of single cells of the supramammillary nucleus (SUM), the mammillary body (MB), and adjacent regions of the diencephalon with respect to the hippocampal electroencephalogram (EEG) in urethane-anesthetized rats. Twenty-nine of 170 cells were found to discharge synchronously with the theta rhythm of the hippocampus (theta- related neurons). All of the 29 theta-related cells were localized to the SUM or MB. A subset of theta-related cells of SUM and MB discharged in short-duration bursts comparable to the pyramidal complex spike cells of the hippocampus. In contrast to hippocampal complex spikes, however, which predominantly exhibit this mode of firing during non- theta states, the burst firing of SUM/MB cells was strongly correlated with the theta rhythm. The proportion of bursting neurons was higher in MB than in SUM. Using partial coherence analysis, we examined the relationship between SUM/MB theta-related cells and the two generators of theta of the dorsal hippocampus. The theta-related cells of MB showed a stronger correlation with "CA1" than with "dentate" theta, whereas no such asymmetry was found in the relationship between neuronal firing of SUM cells and the two generators of theta in the hippocampus. The foregoing suggests that the theta-related cells of MB are driven by descending projections from the hippocampal formation (CA1), whereas those of the SUM are not. The SUM and MB are intimately connected with the hippocampal formation--the SUM mainly via ascending projections to the dentate gyrus, and the MB via direct descending projections from the subiculum. Theta-related SUM/MB cells may be directly involved in the generation of theta and/or the transfer of theta rhythmicity to various parts of the limbic system and forebrain.


The application of electronic spreadsheet packages has been maturing with the increased usage of small or personal computers. However, little work has been done to explore the use of spreadsheet techniques in power system operation. In this paper the common spreadsheet concept used for answering the "what if" question is extended to conveniently answer the questions of "what was" or "what will be" in power control operation. Enhanced with features needed to support automated data collection and processing in a real-time electric utility control, the extended spreadsheet concept has been implemented in a delivered power control computer. This paper describes an approach to the implementation of the real-time spreadsheet and data storage software package. The intended uses are first described. The method of constructing a real-time spreadsheet using this package is illustrated with an example. The software tools included in the package are presented in substantial detail. The presentation of the software functions also illustrates the relationship of spreadsheet building to the control computer database.


Increasing emphasis on sustainability of the built environment has resulted in attempts to drastically reduce the cement consumption in concrete and replace it with waste/recycled materials. This study reports the development of concretes with cement free binders (CFB) and the evaluation of their properties. A Class F fly ash and a ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) are used as the binding materials. The activating agent used in this study is sodium hydroxide (NaOH), at concentrations ranging from 6 M to 10 M. The optimal temperature and curing duration required to achieve desirable compressive strengths of CFB concretes are reported. The influence of the binding material and the concentration of the activator on the compressive strength and porosity of the CFB concretes are studied. The compressive strength of CFB concretes with fly ash as the binding material increases with increase of activating solution concentration but for CFB concretes with GGFBS as the binder, activation with 8 M NaOH is seen to result in the highest compressive strength. The strength-porosity relationship of CFB concretes shows an exponential trend, similar to that of conventional cement based materials. Microstructure and the phase composition of the reaction products are also discussed.


Blogs are frequently updated websites where content (e.g., text, pictures, music) is posted on a regular basis and the information is displayed in chronological order. A blog provides a mechanism to establish an online presence as a childbirth education professional. The new blogger does need to learn new software and terminology; however, there are many resources available to help get a blog started. Keys to successful blogging include maintaining a regular schedule of posts, keeping the posts fun and interesting, and providing information that is useful to the audience.


Mobile agents have attracted considerable interest in recent years. In the context of mobile agents, fault tolerance is crucial to enable the integration of mobile agent technology into today's business applications. To further develop mobile agent technology, reliability mechanisms such as fault tolerance and transaction support are required. For this purpose, we first identify two basic requirements for fault-tolerant mobile agent execution: (1) non-blocking (i.e., a single failure does not prevent progress of the mobile agent execution); and (2) exactly-once (i.e., multiple executions of the agent are prevented). To achieve fault tolerance for the agent system, especially for the agent transfer to a new host, we use distributed transaction processing. This paper proposes a novel approach to fault-tolerant mobile agent execution, which is based on modeling agent execution as a sequence of agreement problems. Each agreement problem is one instance of the well-understood consensus problem. Our solution does not require a perfect failure detection mechanism, while preventing blocking and ensuring that the agent is executed exactly once


—Robotics hand/grippers nowadays are not limited to manufacturing lines; instead, they are widely utilized in cluttered environments, such as restaurants, farms, and warehouses. In such scenarios, they need to deal with high uncertainty of the grasped objects' shapes, postures, surfaces, and material properties, which requires complex integration of sensing and decision-making process. On the other hand, integrating soft materials into the gripper's design may tolerate the above uncertainties and reduce complexity in control. In this paper, we introduce ROSE , a novel soft gripper that can embrace the object and squeeze it by buckling a funnel-liked thin-walled soft membrane around the object by simple rotation of the base. Thanks to this design, ROSE hand can adapt to a wide range of objects that can fit in the funnel and handle with gentle gripping force. Regardless of this, ROSE can generate a high lift force (up to 33kgf) while significantly reducing the normal pressure on the gripped objects. In our experiment, a 198g ROSE can be integrated into a robot arm with a single actuation and successfully lift various types of objects, even after 400,000 trials. The embracing mechanism helps reduce the dependence of friction between the object and the membrane, as ROSE could pick up a chicken egg submerged inside an olive oil tank. We also report a feasible design for equipping the ROSE hand with tactile sensing while appealing to the scalability of the design to fit a wide range of objects. Video: https://youtu.be/E1wAI09LaoY


The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Brix refractometry and to compare the Brix value with semi-quantitative indicators such as total protein (TP), total protein in whey (TPw), glutaraldehyde coagulation time (GCT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) enzyme activity for determining the quality of colostrum. Colostrum samples were collected from 38 Saanen goats just after parturition and on the first day (24 ± 4 hours) and second day (48 ± 4) after parturition. The Brix value, TP and TPw levels were measured with optic refractometers. The level of GCT was determined with a 10% glutaraldehyde solution. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations were measured with a goat IgG ELISA. All measurements decreased significantly after parturition. The IgG and Brix values on the day of parturition were 4719.28 ±107.94 mg/dL and 20.55 ± 0.71, respectively. The TPw levels were lower than TP on all three days and a significant difference was detected on day 2. The IgG concentration was higher in the first-parity and second-parity goats compared with those older does. However, no differences were observed in the other characteristics of the colostrum. Litter size did not affect IgG or the other semi-quantitative tests. Correlation coefficients were higher than 0.8 Tp with TPw, and for the Brix value with both TP and TPw. Brix refractometry could be used to evaluate colostrum quality in Saanen goats and TPw is a more reliable indicator than TP.


Each day, thousands of tourists and pilgrims pass through the doorway of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, alleged site of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, oblivious to the inconspicuous wooden ladder that rests, as it has for at least 150 years, just above their heads. Most scholars regard it as a curiosity, a small testament to a long-running dispute between the various sects occupying the church. This paper argues that the ladder represents something more: a powerful symbol of the absurdity of the status quo, the edict that has dominated the landscape of the Holy Land for centuries. The architectural, religious, and political history and significance of the church, the status quo, and the ladder are discussed using the writings, images, and studies of various experts in a multitude of fields. This research explains the pattern of spolia usage throughout the history of the church, the attribution of sacred properties to these materials, how this all led to the status quo, and why the situation could ultimately lead to the destruction of one of Christendom's holiest places. It also sheds light on the mystery of the ladder, its origins, and how it ultimately personifies the status quo.


For public eye health programs, blindness registers can be an important tool for informing service planning. This study examines how the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) used its blindness register data to drive several public health interventions. Cross-sectional analysis was performed for all active registrants () to determine the distribution of causes of registration according to age, sex, and geographical district. Cataract was the leading cause of registration (39.6%), followed by glaucoma (20.8%), diabetic retinopathy (10.2%), and childhood blindness (9.4%). The distribution of the causes of registration was fairly similar between men and women and across the various districts. However, in Stann Creek, whose population is largely of African descent, glaucoma exceeded cataract. For most causes, the majority of registrants were registered at age 50 or older. Follow-up was conducted four years later. Several interventions had been initiated, most notably bolstering cataract surgical services and creating screening programs for glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. The register itself was also improved to maximize its utility for future use. While standardized surveys may be the most appropriate method of estimating population-based measures such as prevalence or incidence, the blindness register is still a valuable source of data for public health planning.


Healthcare is becoming a mature market from the perspective of "product life cycle" analysis. Mature markets are distinguished by, among other things, expanding competition and increasing emphasis in the market on quality and cost. The cardiac market is the most mature of all aspects of healthcare and, as such, is the most competitive of all healthcare market segments. This is the third in a three-part series on heart centers of the future. The first part dealt with the trends in the cardiac market and the second part focused on the management of change. This article addresses excellence applied to the management of cardiovascular centers over the next decade. Because of the highly evolved nature of the cardiac market, competitive forces will require excellence in terms of service delivery, quality, cost and organization.


This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and normative and barrier beliefs of members of the American Association of Cereal Chemists about the production of whole grain foods. A total of 212 returned questionnaires were used in the analyses. Respondents had a fair knowledge of whole grain foods and positive attitudes about consumer-health and personal/company benefits. Scientific findings provided important normative influences for respondents from academia, while consumer needs and interests were influential for those in industry. Barriers included issues regarding consumer needs as well as beliefs about cost and product quality. Industry respondents may need to see stronger consumer demand before promoting production of whole grain foods.


[1] A simple snow model with only three parameters (fresh snow albedo, albedo decay rate for melting snow, and surface roughness) is used to simulate snow accumulation and melt at four sites in Europe and North America, and the extent to which the model's parameters can be calibrated against observations is investigated. Results from the model are compared with observations of snow water equivalent (SWE) and the range of results from models that participated in an intercomparison project for the same sites. Good simulations of SWE are obtained by parameter calibration, but sensitivity analyses show that the SWE observations do not contain enough information to uniquely determine parameter values even for this very simple model. Comparisons of simulated snow albedo with observations for two of the sites give stronger constraints on the model parameters, but the model is unable to give good simulations of SWE and albedo simultaneously with a single parameter set, revealing a weakness due to the model's neglect of internal snowpack processes; an enhanced version of the model representing heat storage in the snow performs better in simultaneous simulations of SWE and albedo. In comparison with observations of snow surface temperature, it is found that sensible heat fluxes in low wind speed conditions have to be enhanced to prevent the model from simulating unrealistically low nighttime temperatures at a sheltered site.


Multiple predators affect the evolution of aposematic signals in nature and these predators may substantially differ in terms of ecological and cognitive parameters. However, most experimental studies testing the evolution of Batesian mimics use only a single species of predator (usually the great tit or a domestic chick). Therefore, in the present study, we experimentally tested the responses of five passerine predators to an artificially made Batesian mimic (a cockroach equipped with the warning pattern of the red firebug) with respect to their dietary ecology. Half of the individuals of each species were fed on unmodified roaches before the experiment, whereas the other half were fed with mealworms and thus had no previous experience with roaches. We found that Batesian mimics were better protected than inconspicuous prey against inexperienced great tits and robins alone. The other three bird species showed high level of neophobia; therefore, the effect of warning coloration could not be assessed. We also found that experienced birds attacked a greater number of Batesian mimics compared to inexperienced individuals of all tested species, with the exception of blackcaps. In the great tits, robins, and blue tits, a significant number of experienced birds attacked the Batesian mimic, which was possibly the result of a learned search image for a roach. Our results suggest that using a limited array of predators to describe evolutionary processes forming the diversity of antipredatory strategies of the prey may be biased and need not describe the situation occurring in nature.


We explore the effect of computerization on productivity and output growth using data from 527 large U.S. firms over 1987–1994. We find that computerization makes a contribution to measured productivity and output growth in the short term (using 1-year differences) that is consistent with normal returns to computer investments. However, the productivity and output contributions associated with computerization are up to 5 times greater over long periods (using 5to 7-year differences). The results suggest that the observed contribution of computerization is accompanied by relatively large and time-consuming investments in complementary inputs, such as organizational capital, that may be omitted in conventional calculations of productivity. The large long-run contribution of computers and their associated complements that we uncover may partially explain the subsequent investment surge in computers in the late 1990s. Disciplines Databases and Information Systems | Other Computer Sciences This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/oid_papers/267 COMPUTING PRODUCTIVITY: FIRM-LEVEL EVIDENCE Erik Brynjolfsson and Lorin M. Hitt* Abstract—We explore the effect of computerization on productivity and output growth using data from 527 large U.S. firms over 1987–1994. We find that computerization makes a contribution to measured productivity and output growth in the short term (using 1-year differences) that is consistent with normal returns to computer investments. However, the productivity and output contributions associated with computerization are up to 5 times greater over long periods (using 5to 7-year differences). The results suggest that the observed contribution of computerization is accompanied by relatively large and time-consuming investments in complementary inputs, such as organizational capital, that may be omitted in conventional calculations of productivity. The large long-run contribution of computers and their associated complements that we uncover may partially explain the subsequent investment surge in computers in the late 1990s.We explore the effect of computerization on productivity and output growth using data from 527 large U.S. firms over 1987–1994. We find that computerization makes a contribution to measured productivity and output growth in the short term (using 1-year differences) that is consistent with normal returns to computer investments. However, the productivity and output contributions associated with computerization are up to 5 times greater over long periods (using 5to 7-year differences). The results suggest that the observed contribution of computerization is accompanied by relatively large and time-consuming investments in complementary inputs, such as organizational capital, that may be omitted in conventional calculations of productivity. The large long-run contribution of computers and their associated complements that we uncover may partially explain the subsequent investment surge in computers in the late 1990s.


We studied effects of a daytime nap (1 hour) with including only NREM sleep on performance of declarative memory task (60 semantically unrelated word pairs) and general functional state. During training, procedure of learning of 30 word pairs was presented once, and that of the other 30 pairs was repeated twice. Strength of the task acquisition was tested. Subjects participated in two experiments: basic and control one. After learning participants either took a nap (basic experiment) or kept awake looking movies (control experiment). In 4.5 hours after the training session all the subjects were retested. As compared to the subjects who stayed awake during the training-retesting interval, subjects who had a NREM nap demonstrated enhanced performance. Concerning the strength of task acquisition, sleep-dependent performance was observed only for the word pairs learned once. Naps did not affect the functional state assessed by the reaction time dynamics and psychological testing.


A scientific vision of nature, merely based on quantitative parameters, shows nowadays all its limits in the face of the complexity of temporal biological dynamics which are based on many co-evolutive relations in terms of shapes, information, colours, sounds, odours, tastes. The history of nature is a systemic and evolutive one, in which quality and quantity are continuously overlapping and aesthetics plays a fundamental role. At the same time, the time modulates shapes and structures, sounds and colours. It is a time expressed in terms of relations between the parts and in terms of information embodied in the system of energy and matter. Quality and time represent real values in the systemic ecological vision of the biological evolution. They are values to take into consideration towards the scientific education and to take the choices for a sustainable development. Today, the Science of nature can not neglect anymore an evolutive physics based on thermodynamics as well as an aesthetics that overshoots the scientific vision of quantity and introduces the ecological category of quality. The new development model is ecodynamic. It considers the space-time relationship in evolutive and not conservative way , it shifts the Gestalt from being to becoming and it considers time and quality as parameters inside the matter. The thermodynamic concepts of entropy, complexity and arrow of time are decisive to define a sustainable development model and to individuate the constraints regulating the relations between biosphere and human activity.


What's in a name? In this paper we argue the importance of looking, not just at different definitions of the same concept, but also at different concepts applied to the same phenomenon. Concepts such as "organizing vision", "methodology", "technology artifact", and "standards" represent different ways of understanding IS innovations, each highlighting certain aspects while minimizing others. We show how the standards lens adds value to the insights afforded by other familiar ways of looking at IS innovations by examining the particular IT-enabled supply chain innovation of Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR).